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February 22, 2012

It's been a while since I've seen most of you, so I'm hoping you'll come by the lecture I'm giving at the Italian Institute of Culture (very official, I know). Many of you have asked me about Roman food, so here's a chance to find out the what, where and why of our most famous dishes. Hint, not for the squeamish: in Roman fashion, there's no shortage of entrails (no gladiators involved).

How: It's FREE but spaces are limited. They do reserve spots, so email them right away at: media@sfiic.org

Here's the description of the lecture:

"Take a whirlwind virtual tour of Rome with a slideshow covering 2000 years of culinary history, and discover what makes its signature dishes quintessentially Roman.

1. Pane: How bread kept emperors employed and won Romans over to American culture 2. Antipasti: How a jewish appetizer conquered the catholic capital 3. Primi: New world flavors redefine an ancient cuisine 4. Contorno: How sauces gave Rome an appetite for colonization 5. Secondo: The origin of Italy's gutsiest cuisine 6. Coffee and dessert: How roman meals end in fire and ice"

September 21, 2011

Thank you! All our 26 slots are full. I received over 53 replies in 15 minutes!Thank you so much for the enthusiasm and support. I really appreciate it. If your name is not listed in the comments section of the previous post, please stay tuned -- we'd love to have you next month. If you wish to be on the waiting list, please leave your email address and name as a comment to this post. I'll contact you if anyone cancels (someone always does).

Buongiorno. We're ready for our comeback dinner! For this event only, since the kitchen is still being organized, I'm calling only for those of you who have participated before and know how the dinners work (or you can come with someone who does). The main theme will be sustainable seafood. For a complete list of sustainable seafood choices in California, go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. Take your pick from the Best Choices or Good Alternatives columns (hint, wild salmon is still in season).

Featured seasonal vegetables will be edible flowers(nasturtiums are everywhere!), fresh herbs, tomatoes, corn and zucchini (including their tasty, tasty flowers).

The plan26 of us will cook and eat together on October 2nd, starting at 2.30. We'll be done around 7:30.

The dinner will be at Mission Arts Park & Rec Center in San Francisco. Email confirmation with event details will be sent to participants prior to event, and will be required for admission.

Only 26 people can register for this event, so act quickly, but please note which courses are already taken.

Every person coming (including any guest you bring, or your other half in a couple) must sign up for a slot and either cook something or provide local wine and beer (if beverage slots are available -- see below).

Since participation is limited, please let us know at least 4 days before the dinner if you're not going to be able to make it, so we can invite someone else to join us. If you cancel 4 days before the event, you can't join us for the following 2 events. If you don't show at all, you can't join us for the next 3.Canceling on short notice (or not at all) is unfair to everyone, especially people who wanted to participate and couldn't because all the slots were taken.

9 participants will make main courses for 3-4 people each (including some vegetarian options) 2 SLOTS LEFT4 participants will make appetizers for 8 people eachALL SLOTS TAKEN3 participants will make salads for 10 people eachALL SLOTS TAKEN3 participants will make dessert for 8-10 people eachALL SLOTS TAKEN6 participants will bring at least 2 bottles of good *locally produced* wine per person (not per couple) and some *locally-brewed* beer. Consider that most cooks spend $25-50 (and up!) just on their ingredients. If you're not cooking, you should be prepared to spend at least this much on beverages, out of respect for your chefs.ALL SLOTS TAKEN1 participant will bring non-alcoholic beverages (sparkling water and juices, locally produced when possible) ALL SLOTS TAKEN

Please let me know who is coming by name.Once we reach 26 people confirmed, I will close the event and start another post for the waiting list.If the slots are full for what you'd like to bring, please choose something else instead. (Don't worry: There will always be another event to showcase your skills.)

To sign up post a comment on the blog (do not email me directly) under the call-for-participation post letting me know the following:First and last nameEmail address What you'll be making/bringing (appetizer, main course, etc.)If you brought wine last time, you should now cook something (unless you cooked as part of a couple and made a large entree).

If too many people pick the same course, I'll have to assign a different course to the last entrant.

September 06, 2011

The City has come through with a space for us to resume our dinners (yes!). We'll probably be starting the last weekend in September. I've been working with the Park & Rec department to set up the kitchen, and we're 95% done. Cooking supplies and dinnerware came in Friday.

June 04, 2010

Buongiorno everybody - My friend Tony, the environmental educator and
forager
who led our mushroom identification walk, is leading
another edible and medicinal foraging excursion and field
study. I know many of you are interested, so I'm passing this along.

To reserve, contact Tony directly at: tlcockrellbooks@yahoo.com.

WHAT: Edible & Medicinal Plants
of central California . A guided 3 hour walk through a
local ecotone (a transitional zone) affording us a view of diverse
flora. Participants will be provided with a plant species worksheet for
recording identification and plant part information for eating and
medicinal uses. We will work on putting together food from the field
offerings. Participants will learn basic botanical nomenclature to aid
in identifying plant species when using field guides.
This workshop is for all levels of learners. Become familiar with your
area and create a meaningful connection.

WHEN: Saturday, June 12 or Sunday 13 @ 1 pm

WHERE:Tilden Regional Park (Berkeley) at
the Big Springs pullout. Big Springs
is marked by a sign on your right as you drive towards the Botanic
Garden on South
Park Drive off Grizzly Peak Blvd. It is also possible to
get there off Grizzly Peak Blvd. by taking Shasta Road and going right
onto South Park Drive where it connects with Wildcat Canyon Road .

May 31, 2010

Buongiorno,Given the great success of our NorCal artisan wine and cheese pairing event, I'm delighted to announce an all new CH&N Pairings event: the trifecta of fermented foods -- artisan cheeses, beers and breads.

When and whereSaturday, June 12 from 2 to 5 pm, in San Francisco

The plan60 of us will gather, each bringing a sample of our favorite Northern California beers, cheeses or breads. As for all our pairing events, priority for the sign-up will be given to people bringing homemade beer, cheese or bread. I'll be baking two or three of my long-fermentation breads.Here's a list of Northern California breweries from the NorCal Brewer's Guild.Here's a list of artisan cheesemakers from the California Artisan Cheese Guild.Some of us will make an accompanying dessert to enjoy along with our tasting.

I strongly recommend signing up with a friend and bringing a pairing of a beer with a cheese.

This is a community event, open to all. We need to rent the space from the city, so there is a $6 donation per person. The PayPal link will be emailed to the participants tomorrow. Check your calendar before signing up, since donations are non-refundable.

To attend, post a comment on this blog. (Don't email me directly.)Every person coming (including any guest you bring) will need to sign up for a slot, and contribute beers, cheeses or homemade dessert.

Since participation is limited, please let us know at least 4 days before the event if you're not going to be able to make it, so we can invite someone else to join us. If you cancel 4 days before the event, you can't join us for the following 2 events. If you don't show at all, you can't join us for the next 3.Canceling on short notice (or none at all) is unfair to everyone, especially people who wanted to participate and couldn't because all the slots were taken.

We'll divide the slots among the participants this way:24 slots for people bringing their favorite Northern California beers. ( At least 2 6-packs.)24 slots for people bringing their favorite Northern California artisan cheeses --either one pound of cheese or two 8 oz pieces of two cheeses, so that everyone can sample it5 slots for people bringing us artisan or homemade breads ALL SLOTS TAKEN5 slots for people making a dessert (homemade please)ALL SLOTS TAKEN2 slots for people bringing compostable plates, knives and napkins

Please let me know who is coming by name.Once we reach 60 people confirmed and paid, I'll close the event and start another post for the waiting list.If the slots are full for what you'd like to bring, please choose something else instead.

So post a comment on the blog (do not email me directly)under the call-for-participation post letting me know the following:First and last nameEmail address What you'll be bringing (bread, cheese, wine, etc.)

May 03, 2010

Buongiorno. Lo and behold: one grove of cherry trees waited to bloom until my return from Italy! I discovered them today on my run through Golden Gate Park, and decided that it's not too late for our Hanami picnic after all - San Francisco weather permitting.

While living in Japan I
became really fond of Hanami, the spring custom of enjoying cherry blossoms over a picnic with family and
friends. To celebrate Hanami San Francisco-style, I'll bake a batch of my matcha green tea muffins with chopped raw California almonds. All sweet and savory
home-cooked food featuring seasonal and sustainable ingredients is
welcome - and someone please bring some tea or coffee!

What to bring:
It's a seasonal picnic, Cook Here and Now style. Please bring something
you made (not store-bought, please) to share and/or a beverage of your
choice. Do bring a blanket to lay on the ground.

This is an
informal event: there's no sign-up. Just come over, weather permitting.
I'd appreciate it if you could post a comment here letting me know if
you'll make it, so I'll have a way of contacting people in case of
cancellation due to weather or any other update.

April 12, 2010

Buongiorno everybody - My friend Tony, the environmental educator and forager
who led our mushroom identification walk, is taking people on an edible tidepool foraging excursion and field
study. I know many of you will be interested, so I thought I'd pass the information along.To reserve, contact Tony directly at: tlcockrellbooks@yahoo.com.

What: The Edible Ocean &
Tide Pool Ecology. The cold water of the Pacific ocean gives the west
coast a diverse ocean ecology, this two hour experience will give the
participant an understanding of our intertidal zones and what to find
there. We will explore who roams where and why they can be found there
as well as the edible aspects of each of these littoral zones. Enrich
yourself by exploring your watery backyard.

When: April 24th Sat. 1pm and April 25th Sun. 2pm.

Where: The
Moss Beach Distillery parking lot. Take hwy.1 south out of S.F. After
Montara State Beach, Moss Beach will be the next town. Pass Virginia
& Vermont Ave. Look for the large Distillery sign and turn right on
Cypress. Follow Cypress past Cypress Flower Farm (old wooden barn).
Cypress turns into Airport St. Continue following signs for the
Distillery turning right onto Marine Blvd, left on Beach Way and into
the Distillery parking lot. Park as close to the cliff as you can.
If possible, please carpool due to parking availability.

Cost: $18.00/person. Classes are
limited to the first fifteen people.To reserve, contact Tony directly at:tlcockrellbooks@yahoo.com.Slots are
available on first come, first served basis.

Bring:
Wind layers, sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, shorts and water shoes,
hat for shade, snack (food and drink can be purchased at The
Distillery).